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 Kim Deniger, the new liaison officer for Yellowknife schools, got to know some students at Weledeh Catholic school as she judged their science fair last week. The Yellowknife RCMP detachment is freeing up an officer to work full-time in the city schools, a move that was accelerated after a knife incident at the school. - Lisa Scott/NNSL photo |
Police were called to Weledeh Catholic school Feb. 8 after staff apprehended a distraught youth with a knife.
The incident is under investigation and no one at the K-8 school was hurt, but it gave detachment commander Insp. Roch Fortin the added push to assign a full-time liaison officer to all 11 city schools, as well as Kaw Tay Whee in Dettah.
"It was a wake-up call for us. We need to be back in the schools," said Fortin.
"It was in the plan, but if definitely pushed the issue to the forefront to deal with it."
It's been years since the Yellowknife detachment has had the staffing levels for such a move. RCMP officers are assigned as liaisons to each school, but must fit the job in with regular duties, something that just isn't possible, says Fortin.
"We're not only the enforcers, but the educators at the same time. We want to bring back a sense of security to the community," he explained about the role of the RCMP.
Const. Kim Deniger is the new liaison officer. Principals and students will soon get used to seeing her in hallways and classrooms.
"I'm flexible and I want to be there when they need me," said Deniger, who comes to the job from Holman, where she worked closely with the school system.
Deniger plans to meet with each principal at the schools to pinpoint the issues that may be plaguing them. She already knows that drugs and alcohol are a big problem, as well as playground bullying.
She is already teaching the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program (DARE) and getting to meet some students.
Preventive policing is a big part of the liaison program, according to Fortin. "We're trying to concentrate our efforts on trying to help the youth while in school because down the road we end up dealing with them," he says.
For Merril Dean, principal at Weledeh Catholic school, news of Deniger's appointment is welcome.
"The more the RCMP can be in the school and working with kids ... the better it is for them and the community," she said.
She has met with RCMP to discuss the knife incident and the revamped liaison program and how they can work together.
"That's why the liaison program is good, because maybe we can do better next time," he says.
Deniger is two weeks into her position, but the detachment already has plans to expand liaison program.
"As personnel increases at the Yellowknife detachment, we'd like to have up to two members full-time to try to provide a presence in the schools," he said.
